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Quartz kitchen countertops are one of the standouts countertop options for kitchen and bathrooms. Their high durability and versatility allows it to be a reliable surface for home décor.
One of the greatest benefits of quartz is how it can be customized with near limitless patterns and designs. They can come in beautiful shades of white, to deep dark colors, as well as multiple variations of the color spectrum. If there is a color you have in mind, it is very possible quartz can be turned into that color.
That does beg the question, why does quartz come in all colors and patterns? Are they shaped that way naturally or designed to take those forms?
This article will answer both of those questions by highlighting the different popular colors of quartz and explaining their designs and patterns.
Quartz Versatility
The main reason quartz is so customizable is because it is created with a combination of mineral quartz and resin. As the quartz slabs are being constructed, companies can dye the stone with any color or color combinations to give it any appearance. Most companies aim to mimic other popular stones like marble, providing potential buyers with a more affordable option.
In addition to its wide range of assorted colors, quartz is constructed to be stronger than the stones it imitates. While marble is a gorgeous stone on its own, it can be cut more easily than quartz. Quartz has very high resistances regarding cutting, staining, and chipping, as well as being capable to withstand high heat.
Quartz slabs are composed of the quartz mineral, which is readily available around the world. Quartz is one of the most abundant substances on the planet, and quartz slabs can be made from the leftover quartz rubble found in quarries. With its ease of accessibility, quartz slabs have a reason for being one of the top 3 most requested stones for kitchen countertops.
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Features of Quartz
Question, what exactly are you looking at when staring at a slab of quartz?
When staring at quartz slabs, you will usually notice the color of the stone, any lines through the stone, and dots of dye or coloring. All these pieces have specific names which go into what makes quartz slabs customizable.
Veins
Veins are those straight or interlacing lines in the stone. Natural stone veins are formed by crystallized mineral deposits left behind when water ran through the stone and evaporated. Thanks to modern technology, veins can be constructed on artificial stone. Some quartz brands have become so skilled in their quartz making process that stone experts have difficulty distinguishing the difference between quartz and marble.
Speckles
Specks are small marks that have contrasting color to the larger object or frame. Quartz speckles are splatters of dye mixed into the stone to create the appearances of minute stones or mineral deposits like in natural stone.
Quartz has a non-porous surface, making it exceptionally smooth and easy to clean. Stones like granite and marble have miniscule pores which can trap food matter or dirt, which can erode the stone over time. Quartz does not have any pores, allowing stains and food waste to be easily washed away. The solid surface also gives quartz slabs the clean sheen for a kitchen countertop.
Quartz Colors
Now we can get into the fun part of going through all the assorted colors of quartz slabs. Quartz can be multiple shades of every color, so the following list is a brief overview showcasing popular examples of quartz slabs.
White
White quartz is the most popular choice for quartz countertops. The simple color allows it to be paired well with every color, and can be seen as an accent piece for your cabinets or the eye-catching centerpiece for your kitchen. White quartz countertops most often mimic the look of white marble, so companies frequently have a full selection of white quartz available. Modern kitchen interior design schemes often utilize white for their basic design templates because it emits a clean and spacious environment.
Popular examples include:
Carrara quartz has the elegant white quartz with a hint of blue to make it feel brighter and softer than plain white quartz. The subtle veins add color and design to give it a gentler appearance.
Statuario Bianco quartz has a slightly darker shade of white with prominent gray veining weaving throughout the slab. The muter tone of the stone allows the veins to appear stronger where even the thin veins are easily noticeable.
Calacatta Nuvo quartz is white and beige with wider veins woven through the slab. Within the veins are small specks of black and more veining to create a gentle artistic representation of beauty at first glance and complex with a deeper inspection.
Black
Black quartz is the second most popular choice for quartz countertops for similar reasons as white quartz. The black stone looks good as a centerpiece, but can also be utilized as an accent for your cabinets or other focal point. What highlights black quartz is how the black slab creates a deep negative space for the kitchen or has its own feel with white veins coursing through. Speckles of gold on black stone also creates a rugged shine which portrays a sense of mystery when staring at it.
Popular examples of black quartz include:
Jet Black quartz is a consistent black slab with no veins, specks, flecks, or movement. It is not as dark as other black slabs which create a sense of negative space, but dark enough to produce a feeling of physicality in the kitchen.
Nero Marquise is a darker black slab with white veins coursing through it. The contrast of white and black highlight the best of both colors, allowing the viewer to appreciate the colors separately and together.
Blackwood quartz is a black slab with speckles of gold and cream flecks sprinkled throughout. The speckles give the black slab a richer and warmer feel which allows it to pair well with other darker colors like brown or red.
Beige
Beige quartz has a warmer and comforting feel in comparison to the other colors. Beige is a gentle color, allowing the quartz to take on its softer properties by having your countertop feel like a safe space. Many beige quartz slabs have speckles or rich veins running through it to create numerous designs ranging from sandy dunes to an arid desert.
Popular beige quartz options include:
Taj Royale quartz is a beautiful beige slab with dark brown veins. When staring into the stone, it creates a hypnotic appeal where you see small patterns forming between the brown veins and speckles of lighter beige in the slab.
Himalayan Moon is a dark beige stone with black veins running across the slab. The balance of dark and light colors allows it to be matched with other similar colors and creates the optical illusion of staring at a mountain range from high above the clouds.
Red
Red quartz come in a variety of shades and styles. It commonly takes the appearance of a granular look to mimic the feel of sand. The tiny grains of other colors decoratively sprinkled into the stone can give the countertop a sense of warmth and physical space in comparison to white or black which can give it a blank or empty space.
Popular examples of red quartz include:
Red Shimmer is a consistent red quartz slab with very few white speckles mixed in. The bright red stone captures the eye's attention, and the white speckles keeps the viewer continually gazing to find what other mysteries the red stone conceals.
Reading quartz is a darker and faded red quartz with black and white speckles. The red, black, and white faded combination makes it appear to that of natural clay or brick.
Pink
Pink quartz has plenty of shades, but often appears as a pink stone with speckles and veins running through. Due to its lighter tone, it can be fabricated to look like natural stone with several layers of shading. Pink quartz gives a physical space to the countertop, allowing it to be a centerpiece for the kitchen or a companion piece as a lighter half to a stronger and darker cabinet.
Popular examples of pink quartz include:
Excava is a pink quartz slab with spots of gray, white, and darker colors mixed together. The multitude of connections and colors creates a slab that has a sense of movement and strength.
Topus Concrete is a pink stone with veins of white and shades of pink and brown. It is designed to imitate that of poured concrete and layered rock transformed together.
Blue
Blue is often associated with feelings of happiness and joy. Having a blue quartz countertop only makes sense to extend that feeling of joy into your cooking space. Blue quartz can come as either blank slabs of different shades of blue or with speckles and veins flowing to create something akin to nature and gemstones.
Popular examples of blue quartz include:
Hadley is an entirely blue quartz slab. No speckles, no veining, no movements, or design of any kind; just a rich blue slab.
Skye quartz is full of veins and dark speckles to give it a chaotic feel of constant motion. It imitates the rough and turbulent waves of the sea as if staring at it from above.
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Customized Options
Quartz having the versatility of being customized allows manufacturers to be more creative in the styles and colors with their slabs. A current trend is to create familiar stones with a modern appeal like concrete or having the expressiveness of nature.
Modern Designs
Gray quartz works very well with the modern styles as it can be easily modified to appear as concrete or other manufactured stone. These designs can range from a blank gray, to a cloudy gray sky, to washed-out concrete.
Popular examples of modern designs include:
Rugged Concrete is exactly what one would imagine it to be. It is a gray slab with spots of white mixed in to create the iconic look of concrete.
Coastal Gray is a black slab, with gray veining taking visual prominence. The stone is complex with numerous interweaving veins that creates a modern work of art with the colors of a rocky cliffside.
Nature Designs
Quartz is always being fabricated to mimic the beauty of natural stone. It was inevitable that manufacturers would get creative and try to imitate other forms of nature. Now, clients can shop for quartz slabs that emulate the greenery of a forest, the majesty of a setting sun, or the grace of waves crashing upon the shore.
Popular examples of nature inspired designs include:
River Bed quartz is aptly named for its appearance mimicking that of tiny stones lying on a riverbed. The gray and white spots mix together with the brown and black create a visually stunning recreation of nature.
Clamshell is a simple gray quartz with small specks of white, brown, and black. The small colors on a sandy gray imitate the look of finding a shell on a sandy beach.
Difference Between Quartz and Other Stones
Thanks to constant upgrades in modern technology, quartz manufacturers have perfected their craft at making quartz slabs nearly identical to real stone. Stone experts who are trained to identify the differences between real and artificial stone, have difficulty determining which is quartz. There are a few ways you can tell the differences, but it requires a very keen eye.
Uniform Colors- natural stone has hundreds of tiny discolorations and inconsistent veining layers due to the way water trickled through the stone. Quartz has more uniform colors and a consistent pattern of lines and angles.
Scratch Test – quartz has a higher scratch resistance than other natural stones. By gently scratching the quartz with a knife, you can tell what type of stone you have. If it scratches easily, it is most likely not quartz.
The scratch test method comes with a risk of damaging your countertop, so it is not recommended to perform this test.
Conclusion
There is no shortage of options you can have with your quartz countertop. If there is a specific option or concept you have in mind regarding what you want your slab to look like, speak with a quartz manufacturer to see if they can accommodate it. The real question is what will you choose?
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